Shanghai Kiss March 23, 2007

Emmy Award-winner Kern Konwiser and co-director David Ren’s inspired romantic comedy SHANGHAI KISS delves into territory left unexplored by LOST IN TRANSLATION—namely, that of an Asian American’s cultural shock and confusion at being thrust into 21st-century Shanghai, a city whose language he doesn’t speak, but a place where he feels uniquely at home nonetheless.

Ken Leung plays Liam Liu, a likeable, struggling L.A. actor who inadvertently finds himself as the object of affection for a pretty Beverly Hills teen (Hayden Panettiere, NBC’s HEROES). Their relationship is innocent; he drives her to school every morning, and enjoys her company, but doesn’t feel fully himself around her. When Liam inherits his grandmother’s home in Shanghai, his visit to China and introduction to Micky (Kelly Hu)—a woman who captures his imagination like no other—force him to reconsider his Chinese roots. Caught between two worlds (and two women), Liam must now sort out the complicated desires of his heart, and find out who he really is.

Skewering Hollywood’s casting process from the opening scene, the film smartly refigures the romantic comedy genre with Asian American leads. Shanghai has never been as luminous as it is through cinematographer Alex Buono’s lens. After a string of supporting roles in major Hollywood films (including SAW, X3 and a scene-stealing turn as the karaoke salesman in KEEPING THE FAITH), actor Ken Leung comes into his own as Liam, a young man learning to be comfortable in his Asian American skin.

—Christopher Au

Official Website: http://www.asianamericanfilmfestival.org/2007/films-events/film-detail/?i=103